Replaced "WasWood" with Corian (solid surface) countertop

[brucemc]

Nice work, Rebellee!

I've got a little more to go, but here's the backspace as of today. I'm working on the trim for the corner, and will contemplate the left & right edges:



Who remembers this little Black & Decker offering:



I glued up the table top today:







Also, I was able to finish another project - I moved the back up camera monitor:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post2003700

[brucemc]

Tabletop:

First routing done to flush buildups with main top: (The odd chunk at the upper right corner is a piece of scrap that I used while routing the round-over)





Be prepared for a lot of fluff!





First corner cut - third layer is the template:





3/8" round-over on top, 1/4" round-over of the bottom, a whole lotta sanding & polishing:








Next, I'll create the plywood filler to mount the stand bracket. Pics in a few days!

[Paulie1138]

Looking great!

[ace911]

Excellent work! Hopefully you manage to pass some of those skills down to the next generation!

[gastan]

That is a beautiful job. Also, looks like you have a pretty good shop set up. That drill press is making me jealous. And I've never seen a DIYer with so many clamps.

I didn't realize that a layman could buy solid surface material. It's been a few years - more than I like to think of - but when I took the solid surface certification class thru the union's continuing education program, only certified, licensed installers could purchase it. Times, they do change, I guess.

Just a note for others thinking of solid surface. It is heavy - a little over 4# per square foot - twice the weight of plywood. And expensive. The last time I looked, a standard full sheet of 1/2" Corian (30" x 12') was $350 - $450, depending on finish.

[brucemc]

Thanks for the compliments, Gastan! I purchased these as remnants from a local cabinet shop, so if there are restrictions on who could purchase it, the cabinet shop certainly didn't enforce it. I checked with a couple other retail outlets regarding purchasing the material; they wouldn't sell me the material, but they'd be happy to consult with me to spec the "kitchen" & do the work for me. I didn't tell them it was an RV, as I was interested only in purchasing the material.

Lowe's has bags of those plastic squeeze clamps, which is why I had so many. However, I've been a hobbyist workworker for most of my life, and have collected a bit of a collection of bar clamps, hand screws, c-clamps, etc in the mean time. I took 4 years of wood shop in high school, including being a shop aid. I thought I'd go into the trades, but got into the software/electronics industry after doing my 4 years in the Navy.

Granted, the solid surface is a bit heavier, but in the grand scheme of things, I'll be adding perhaps 10-15 lbs over the weight of the original MDF surfaces. I weighed both the original flipup and the new one - the solid surface weighed a couple pounds more. Granted, I reduced the width of the flipup by 2 inches, but was still surprised they solid surface wasn't that much heavier.

The drill press is a light duty unit, but it has several cool features. You can zero the depth at the surface of the material, then as you drill, the read-out displays your depth. It has 6 speeds, and maintains the speed setting independent of load. The rpm can be displayed on the readout.

[brucemc]

Dinette table...


Installing the baseplate:







Setting the base panel in with silli-con:



Table is nearly done:






Today I replaced all the dark sharp-edged door/drawer pulls with satin nickel:



The new oval sink for the bath vanity has been ordered and is on its way. Once it arrives, I'll start in on the vanity.

In the mean time, I have a bit more trim work to do on the kitchen setup, plus, you know, work, running to Dr. appts, jury duty, etc.

[Paulie1138]

Great looking build. Thanks for the details!

[brucemc]

Kitchen is finished!









Backsplash:






Detail around the window:





The bath vanity countertop is next. I'll soon have a 10x13 oval stainless sink, and will post pics once it's complete.

[gastan]

Great looking job. I especially like the attention to detail on the flip-up counter extension. It is level with the counter when in the up position - not seen on a lot of units. And you matched the "grain" on the couner and the extension. Not something most would even think of. It's the little things like that that turn a good job into a great job. Congrats.

[rebellee]

Beautiful!

[brucemc]

Thanks Gastan, Rebellee! Indeed, I cut the panel with the idea of matching the "grain". I could have gone so far as to match the strip along the back of the stove, but didn't. The strip along the right side the stove was cut from the right side of the main panel.


The new bath vanity sink arrived today, and I've removed the old sink and countertop. Pictures soon!

[Paulie1138]

Looking very nice! Again, thanks for taking the time to post!

[ace911]

Looks great, love the attention to detail! The molding around the window is a really nice touch.!

[Dwilcox]

Nice looking job.

[larry2c]

Beautiful work Bruce - true craftsman are a rare breed now days!

I really like your back splash material. If you don't mind sharing, what is it and where did you get it?

[brucemc]

Thanks much, everyone!

Believe it or not, it's designed for back splashes as well as wall accents, or for whatever your imagination... We picked up the material in the tile/flooring section at Lowe's. It's a thin layer of aluminum over a fairly hard substrate. Each square/rectangle is individually mounted on the backing, and has aluminum on both surfaces. The backing material is a thin sheet of doublestick foam, that is verrry sticky. It's not cheap - around $11 -12 per square foot, but in the grand scheme of things, it cost $50 for the kitchen, with part of a sheet left-over for the bath vanity. (I get a 10%+ discount at Lowe's as a veteran. Home Depot also has a veteran discount - if you are a veteran, don't be afraid to ask!)

[larry2c]

Thanks Bruce - I'll head out to Lowes later this week - and apply my veterans discount! (USN '76 - '82)

[brucemc]

Bath vanity nearly complete:


Sized, sink hole cut:




Counter in place -beware of where things go! I was lucky, though could have opened up the area if needed. I used thinner metal than the original plastic:




New GFI; the original had a spacer that wasn't needed, though it made it easier to wire:



Nearly finished:



And... I found one more small countertop next to the slide that I might replace with the left over material.


--Bruce - USN, 1975-79, west coast.

[BillD]

You've been busy this winter. I looks very nice.